Ohio farmers preserving breeds

Sep. 29, 2012

Written by

News Journal

MANSFIELD -- Travis West, of Athens County, has been raising Creme D'Argent rabbits for 22 years.

The breed, which originated in France, was raised in Europe for fur because of its silver pelt.

The Creme D'Argent rabbit is nearly unique for the way the animal's color changes during the first several months of its life. Born with a solid orange-tinted coat, they develop first white ticking, then a silvery coat.

After it was brought to America in 1934, the breed was "upped in size" and raised as commercial meat rabbits.

The breed is on the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy's "watch list" as potentially endangered.

West estimates only about 1,500 Creme D'Argent rabbits exist in the U.S.

"I probably have the most of anybody in the country, and I have 90 to 100," the secretary and treasurer for the national Creme D'Argent Federation said.

While 1,500 is a small number, and the gene pool is limited, "we were never to the point where we were at a handful," West said.

If a breed of rabbit becomes extinct, "that eliminates one avenue" for future sources for fur or meat, West said. "There are 47 recognized breeds. Every one of them has a unique attribute that makes them attractive to different people," he said.

Jeffrey Lay, who operates Crains Run Ranch in Miamisburg, is in his 50s.

He began raising American Buckeye chickens more than a decade ago, and is co-founder of the American Buckeye Club.

He was drawn to the breed because it was "dual purpose" (both a good egg layer and source of meat), tolerates cold weather, and originated in Ohio.

"I found the Buckeye history fascinating because it is the only American breed developed by a woman, Nettie Metcalf, in what was a male-dominated industry in those days," he said.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Americans lived on small farms of 40 to 100 acres, raising American Buckeyes and other traditional breeds as a source of income and food.

Today, "people are turning to the traditional Buckeye in an effort to be more self-sufficient. A dual-purpose breed makes a great deal of sense to these folks," Lay said. "It's also a good idea to preserve the Buckeye (and other American breeds) because of their potential value as exhibition fowl."

Information on heritage, heirloom or traditional livestock breeds can be found at the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy's website, albc-usa.org.